B Rich Brinson Interviews ONG Big Shane

I go by ONG Big Shane, I'm a music artist, videographer, & all around business man. I do promo & marketing for KUSH Brand cigars & Minty Wraps rolling papers. It's really nothing I can't do, haha.. I'm from a small town in SW Louisiana, "DeRidder", where it's really get it how you live & how you can. So with that said, I can't slow down!

Where are you from originally?

I was actually born in Taegu, Korea. But I was raised out in DeRidder. Pops was in the military & was created when he was stationed overseas. My mom's fam is from the Boot, so that's where we spent most of my childhood and older years.

How did you get started in the music industry?

Mainly just growing up around music lovers and experiencing various styles of music and people as a kid. My pops was a radio DJ in Alabama, & also a club DJ in Louisiana when I was a kid, actually one of the hottest at the time. Then my cousins in Houston had a rap group & when I use to visit, I spent most of my time in their studio every trip, and that was before my teenage years. So music is just in me, my pops side of the family is from the Virgin Islands, and my uncles and cousins there, also the same..been doing music before I was born! So it's just in me man. I started in the 6th grade, wrote my first song and friends was feeling it.

So me and my bro and some friends started a lil group, we started poppin, this was in San Antonio, Tx.. then I moved from there back to Louisiana, and did the same with some of my cousins here, we started poppin out here, doing local teen shows, songs on the radio, etc.. since then I just learned the business and perfected the craft, now it's no longer a hobby, it's my job & way of life.

How would you describe your music style?

I tell people all the time, I don't just label myself a rapper because I make music that can be played on other genre radio stations and markets. I make soul music, feel good music, timeless music. Don't get me wrong, I got plenty rap/trap songs. But I will never put myself into just one category, I make worldwide music. Anybody can hear my music and fall in love with either the vibes or the messages that come with it.

When you have free time what do you like to do?

When I DO have free time, I'm with the kids. I have a son & daughter, so it's either music hustling, or I'm with them experiencing life in various ways. I like to travel, see different things, so I take them with me a lot so when they get older, they can say they been there or did that!

What are some special characteristics about you that most don’t know?

It’s a lot of things people don't know, I don't let people know a lot of things that they don't need to know about me. Even some of family don't really me haha.. but that's just me as a person. I'm to myself a lot, hardly speak but when I make sure it's something worth hearing. I'm more of a thinker than a speaker until you hand me a microphone!

What do you like most and least about your profession?

I've always loved music, not even just being an artist but music in general. I like all types of music. But what I like about the profession, being able to touch and motivate people with my life stories. Being able to show people where I come from, that you can make it out the city with this music, that you can accomplish dreams with this music. I motivated a lot of people, even some of the ones who doubted my vision at first, they respect it now because my grind has never stopped since I started. So that's what I love, proving the non-believers wrong. What I like the least, is these new rappers man. A lot of these new artists and new artist who decided last night that they wanna become a rapper, they make it hard for the people who really do this and love this. That's what I hate. But I feel that real music is making a comeback, then I'll get my shine on.

What song of yours are you most proud of and why?

I can't just pick one song, but I can pick a project, which is my "Louisiana Summers EP,” which I released early 2016. The reason being, because it's the type of music I love to do on that tape. It's my whole life on a cd. If you wanna know me, know my background & struggles, go listen to "Louisiana Summers EP". If you wanna know where I'm from and what it's like here, listen to "Louisiana Summers". It's like my life bible on wax basically.

Give us a WTF was I thinking moment?

That’s easy when I think about some of the people I helped out and then it backfired due to their lack of patience or disloyalty. My brand/team is OverNightGang, I guess people thought they'd get to my level...Over Night. So yeah, that's that!

What is your perspective on the current state of the industry?

As I mentioned before, I can't stand these new cats. The songs they label "hits", makes you wonder who's running these labels and radio stations. Money really moves people. We need more people in those positions who won't be afraid to turn down music they dislike, even if it comes with a check offer that they do like. It's a crazy game, but games change & end.

If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?

I would've grown up quicker, I would've made better decisions & learned more in my younger ages instead of waiting until I was older. I would've studied some of the people I met, before labeling them partners.

What are you currently working on?

I dropped 5 mixtapes in 2016 alone, so I'm letting those heat up online and in the streets. In the meantime, I've been doing features and writing for some major artist. Working on plans for the first qtr of the New Year. Also my album project "The Streets Investment 2", is coming in 2017, along with a lot more projects. I plan to drop more in '17 than I did last year. So I just tell people to expect the unexpected when you dealing with me.

Where can fans check out more of you at?

You can find all my past and recent releases @ (http://BigShane.Blogspot.com), all my projects are on music sites such as DatPiff, Spinrilla, Livemixtapes, etc. follow me on social media via (@BigShane337) - also my YouTube channel for all my videos, (YouTube.com/BigShaneTV) - much love & respect to everyone who took the time out to read my interview and learn more about me for those who are unfamiliar. Hope you enjoy what you hear!